Monthly Archives: January 2015

Wow. There really isn’t that much to say other than how Mutopis and Elkat’s analyses blew me away and I don’t think I can top them, really.

Possibly because of how shit my Internet was last night, but all of that completely went over my head even if I was probably thinking it subconsciously. Wow. I really have nothing to say to that other than I’m feeling even better about this show than I already was and Lulu is literally my favorite girl.

But yeah I think I find it the most interesting here that Ikuhara is introducing a sibling conflict with the sister NOT admiring the brother which is usually how his shows END as a form of self-actualization that they were being controlled by their perceptions of a family member who actually WASN’T who they thought they were. But the themes and storytelling techniques he’s using haven’t really changed. I just think what I love the most is how its contributing to Lulu’s development so early on in the show and it feels…realistic, even though its in a fantastical setting.

Lulu is such a relateable character who at first seems so silly and like she doesn’t take anything seriously, but this episode proves otherwise. I cannot gush over it enough.

Sorry I’m not much of a conversationalist today. I simply just don’t have much to say that hasn’t already been said.

Originally posted on Isn't It Electrifying?: [Three Bears sit a table. Their porridge is taking a while to heat up] Bear 2: I don’t even know what porridge tastes like. Bear 1: Is it better or worse than curds and whey? Bear 3: gorigorigorigorigorigorigorigorigori [Bear 1 takes off his costume to reveal VESTENET, Bear…

Well, not quite a diaspora and not really a revolution… but the accomplishments of the group of people who eventually made Revolutionary Girl Utena together and then moved on to make other shows awe me. Yes, the kind of awesome that actually fills me with awe (as opposed to common usage that translates to “pretty nice” that inspires a person to uh, click the “like” button on Facebook) . Yes, awe. These guys made awesome things, and we made an awesome chart to show you who was involved in what shows that came before and after Revolutionary Girl Utena.

You’ll have to open the image in a new tab because it is frickin’ HUGE.

This is probably the most straightforward of Ikuhara’s works (to me at least), but its still done in such a way that with his style, it seems a lot more than that. In some ways, it’s like Madoka (aside from the clearly Shaftian/Silver Link vibes the whole thing gives off).

If you open your mind up, you can enjoy it without the symbolism because you can understand its themes and its characters but still nothing is spoonfed to you either.

So in other words, I think he is intentionally giving you everything at once like Shaft does, because it is a shorter series and he wants his message to reach more people.

I think he’s actually serious about reaching Japanese lesbians themselves, regardless of whether or not they watch anime because they’re the ‘invisible minority’. Or that’s my hope anyway. It’d be nice in all honesty, Japanese society’s overall refusal to acknowledge LGBT as a thing is seriously problematic.

It’s like how Gundam made more people tune into anime way back in the 70s-80s and that made the industry grow…maybe…I dunno, Gundam of Yuri…when Ikuhara says stuff like that, he’s probably bluffing.

The Invisible Storm was something really cool to see. It’s making me more and more wary of what’s gonna happen next. Damn social exclusion and ‘those who do not conform to social vibes are evil and should be eaten’. I like how the court scene switched up to Ginko and Lulu pleading for the opportunity to save Kureha instead of just eating her, and the whole power-up she got with that yuri approved gun which came from…LOL.

So yeah, looks like he’s going the Penguinbear (goddamn that pun/title) route. Hoping that he’ll restrain himself a bit so I don’t have to do a double take when I see the ending. But this is Ikuhara we’re talking about…oh boy.

I still don’t think its clear who the real antagonist is but we won’t know that for awhile. I wonder about Yuriika-sensei though…she’s giving me really bad vibes.

Also Mitsuko…goddammit please don’t die…oh who am I kidding…she’s gone. Best girl is gone. ;_;

I feel like watching some of those horror movies that apparently inspired some of the backgrounds in this show. Maybe I’ll do that this weekend.

Another thing I realized is that this show is getting a lot of flack from people who are either A. Not familiar with Ikuhara’s works, B. only like Class S yuri and C. Condemn it as fanservice because the show is directly about female sexuality which is something that’s rarely portrayed in anime in a positive light, as well as even taken seriously. This show is probably parodying that by being darker than his earlier works right from the start, but still absurd and surreal in his presentation.

I liked when Mitsuko talked about maintaining ‘a closed society’ because that is more than likely a jab at Japanese xenophobic cultural standards. Thereby, he’s criticizing the close-minded people who can’t understand or won’t open up to his works, just like the people who overall refuse to accept lesbians or anyone that lives ‘deviant, amoral and animalistic’ lifestyles against the social norm unless they become part of the Invisible Storm.

GOD that’s perfect. He’s criticizing the very existence of ecchi and kawaii aesthetics being okay when separate but not together, when its just like people getting off to lesbians because ‘its just a phase’ and ‘girl on girl is hot’ but not actually supporting or acknowledging their love like they would any other fictional or realistic couple consisting of a man or a woman. The hypocrisy of fearing the unknown when to what you call unknown, you yourself can be considered as such. SHIBARERU DAROU?

I’m gonna be perfectly honest, I’m falling in love with Lulu too. She’s just SO ADORABLE. Ungh, prez is totally best girl though. I don’t think I’m gonna be able to get her saying “Tenkosei” and “GAO GAO” out of my head any time soon.

This episode was really fantastic. I sort of love how Ikuhara is just taking advantage of the shorter running time and throwing all the puzzle pieces at us in such a way that its less cryptic, so to speak. Also the fact that the Court of Severance and lily licking is being used as stock footage OMFG XD. Looking forward to that every week.

Also NOW I’m pretty sure Sumika is dead but I could be wrong. Ikuhara always surprises me like this.

The one thing I’m mad about is that Prez’s raccoon girlfriend (who was kinda ugly LOL) is gone so my Madoka x Ryuko ship (That’s what I called it, Aoi and Ami Koshimizu XD ) is totally SUNK but meh.

I’m not gonna bore you with an analysis post/commentary but I’ll just say I look forward to next week’s episode and I’m kind of hoping the Invisible Storm doesn’t turn out to be like the Child Broiler.

Also that teacher is really giving me the creeps. And I got a feeling Kureha’s mom is still alive.